When We Fall
by ObeseCommando
Summary: <html><head></head>HUMANIZED. Sequel to "Manhattan Ballad." Vinyl and Octavia are back together, and the Reclamation is finally over, but now they are caught in the middle of a civil war as the Solar Empire tears itself apart. With order collapsing, and the furious Bass Leader hot on their trail, will the two survive? Originally uploaded to FimFic on 10/5/2012.</html>
1. Chapter 1

Vinyl Scratch woke to the wailing sirens.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sound while her brain tried to understand what was happening. Was this it? Did Bass Leader activate the explosives he had put in her brain? He wouldn't traumatize his daughter by making Vinyl's head pop off, right?

"What's that?" Octavia mumbled into the pillow.

"It's nothing, Tav. Go back to sleep." Vinyl tried to stay calm as she spoke, keeping her voice low and skipping some details. She had to get away from Octavia before the explosives detonated, just to keep Octavia safe.

Unfortunately, Vinyl's dismissive tone worked too well. Octavia shifted so that her head rested on Vinyl's chest. Now her heart took some time off of its frantic pace to beat for a different reason. The DJ resisted the urge to run her hands through that beautiful cascade of black hair, the mere thought making her face heat up. The persistent sirens made her realize that she might never get the chance to do anything again if her head was about to blow up.

Vinyl ran a hand through Octavia's hair. She wanted to savor this potentially last moment with the woman she had done so much for, essentially giving her body and a large chunk of her mind to. But the sirens would not stop, and each second that passed could be the last. Vinyl kissed the top of Octavia's head and inhaled deeply. Octavia tightened her grip around Vinyl at the sign of affection. If there was an afterlife, Vinyl was going to miss her, but if there wasn't, well, she might find the answer to that soon enough. It was time to go. "Tavi, I gotta use the toilet," Vinyl mumbled to conceal the urgency in her voice.

Octavia made a pouting sound but mercifully slid off. "Don't be too long," she muttered as Vinyl slid off of the bed. The words, spoken innocently, sent shivers through Vinyl's spine.

The restroom was small and bland. The tiles under her feet were cool to the touch. Vinyl stood in the center of the room, facing the mirror. She looked scared, but she knew that death was coming at her like a freight train. The whole affair wasn't what she had in mind for dying. The early days of her youth had been a blur of fun and excitement, but that didn't mean she didn't have plans.

She was a young, talented DJ. She was going to ride that train for as long as she could, having the time of her life until the last stop. What would happen after that, well, who could say? When she had entertained such fantasies, she had been sitting on the roof of her old house, wearing an old pair of headphones and drinking cheap beer, watching the few stars that managed to shine through the light pollution. It would be a long time before she had to worry about anything after her time as a DJ had come and gone.

Vinyl had moved out as soon as she had been able, taking jobs at any club that she could. She spent years honing her craft. Places were filling with people who were drawn to her. Word had spread fast that Vinyl Scratch knew how to throw a party. Life hadn't thrown her for a loop until she was offered a job at the CyberLink.

The CyberLink was a club that many people called the best of the best. Vinyl never knew why. There were lights, music, dancing, and alcohol, but that could be found at any club. Maybe they were drawn to the fact that the CyberLink was owned by a reclusive man with too much money and a private army. Or maybe the drinks were just that good. No matter the reason, Vinyl knew that a job at the CyberLink could only bolster her career. Never had she thought that her musical career could turn her into a killing machine.

Vinyl closed her magenta eyes and waited for the end. Her mind was thinking about whatever it wanted, but she didn't want to think about Bass Leader and what he did to her. What was something better? Vinyl smirked, her mind instantly providing a picture of the woman still sleeping on the bed. The woman who expected her to come back at any moment. The woman who was about to be alone.

Tears started to fall down Vinyl's cheeks. "Oh, Empress, Tavi," she said into her hands. "I am so sorry." She was wracked with sobs and fell to her knees. Vinyl didn't care that she looked pathetic. She was going to die. For her, it would be easy. She wouldn't even know she was dead. Octavia, on the other hand, was going to hear something, walk in, and see whatever was left. Vinyl thought about locking the door in hopes of sparing Octavia from stumbling into something terrible, but the sirens suddenly seemed louder. Too loud.

_ Oh, fuck, it's happening. I know it's happening_. Vinyl wept, navigating through tear-filled eyes to sit in front of the door. At least now, with her back against the door, she had a clear view of the window. It was going to be a sunny day.

_Octavia, I'm so sorry_. Vinyl closed her eyes for what she was sure to be the last time.

There was no pain, no bright light at the end of a long tunnel. For Vinyl Scratch, life continued on. She opened one eye hesitantly, as if any quick movements would cause her head to pop off. The sirens persisted, but the longer Vinyl sat in the cramped restroom, she realized that they were coming from outside.

Vinyl let out an explosive breath until there was no air left in her lungs. Then she took a large gulp of air and relished every moment of it. A chuckle found its way through her lips, and before she knew it, she was rolling on the floor with laughter. She didn't care about how loud she was laughing because she was alive. All of the fear was gone, melted away. Vinyl Scratch was not going to be dying that day! Vinyl almost let out a cheer of victory before she realized a tiny notification on her heads up display.

The message caused her to sober up instantly. Her hand shook slightly as she rose her fingers, each pulsing with a bright blue light, a sign of her augments being activated, to open the message.

YOU ABDUCTED MY DAUGHTER.

Vinyl's heart missed a beat. After the ominous message, the sender had attached pictures. The pictures depicted Vinyl on her hands and knees in a very boring bathroom. Vinyl scrolled further.

YOU WILL DIE.

Vinyl looked past the message and at the window. A sharp crack filled the air and a large hole suddenly appeared in the door next to Vinyl's head. She swore and scrambled to her feet, unable to believe the sniper had missed.

"Tavi, we gotta go right now!" Vinyl flew to the chair where her jacket was and threw it on.

"What?" Octavia sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What do you mean, 'what?' How do you sleep through a shot like that anyway? We gotta get out of here!"

Octavia blinked once, as if she was trying to understand why Vinyl was suddenly flailing her arms and screaming. Then something kicked in, and the young woman was flying across the room. "Will I be alright with these new augments?" she asked, throwing off the hospital gown in favor of her shirt.

"You should be. We could've left at any time, or so the doctor said earlier."

"That's good. What's going on?" Octavia was fumbling with her pants.

"Your dad sent his goons. They're not too happy that you're here, and I doubt they know about your augmentation." Vinyl checked her pistol, the only weapon she had managed to hold onto.

"What's the plan?"

Vinyl sucked on her lip. "Run like hell, I guess. We'll go for the stairs to the left. I don't think we should go for the SUV, though, but we do need a set of wheels."

"So take the stairs to run like hell and try to get a car while under fire?"

"Pretty much," Vinyl shrugged.

Octavia closed her eyes. "I'm going to need some coffee after this."

"And I'll need something stronger," Vinyl said. "Just follow me and we'll get through this. Ready?"

Octavia nodded. Vinyl turned to the door, threw it open, and ran out with Octavia right behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Bass Leader hated to admit it, but he had underestimated Vinyl Scratch. He had delved into her past before offering her a job at the CyberLink. Her life had been dissected before him, and what he saw was just another tool to add to his extensive arsenal. An unremarkable high school career, a few accounts of vandalism, and a brief stay in jail due to public drunkenness were just a few points that barely stood out to him as he read the reports. People like Vinyl Scratch, loud, reckless, and dumb, were a dime a dozen. He thought that the DJ was broken through his routine of beatings and forced executions. It had worked plenty of times before. So where did this sudden spike of daring come from?

He brought a cigarette to his lips and inhaled deeply before adding another burst of smoke into the cloud that had formed around him. He looked at the tiny icon on his heads-up-display that read "Vinyl Scratch File." He blinked twice in quick succession to open it, even though nothing would have changed. Vinyl's picture appeared, an awkward smile plastered on her face.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Ms. Scratch? I had offered you stability in this new world, and this is how you repay me?" Bass Leader wrapped his lips around the cigarette. He let it stay for a moment before taking another deep breath. He tilted his shaved head back and whispered through smoke, "You might just be the dumbest person I've encountered in a very long career."

Vinyl's picture stared back at him. The awkward smile almost seemed like it was mocking him.

A flash from another icon caught his attention and he banished Vinyl's file. He looked at the other icon and blinked twice. The floor plan for the hospital appeared, and he grinned. Vinyl Scratch might have shown courage or immense idiocy, but whichever it was wouldn't get her out of the city alive. Bass Leader had made sure of that.

Vinyl kept her pistol on the door as the pair ran down the stairs. She had seen enough movies where people burst through doors with a shotgun to be more than a little paranoid. Of course, one of Bass Leader's men could be drawn by the amount of noise the two were making. When they were close enough, Vinyl threw the door open. She was almost disappointed when nothing but a sterile hallway greeted them.

"Are you alright?" Octavia asked.

"Yeah. Guess I just have an active imagination." Vinyl gave a quick grin and sprinted down the hall before Octavia could ask another question. The sound of someone talking forced Vinyl to slow down. She dared a glance around the corner.

They had reached the lobby. A man stood in front of the door. The way he was dressed, black clothes with a Kevlar vest, could have meant anything in another time. He could have thought he was a badass, for all Vinyl cared. All she knew was that he was standing in between her and the front door. Vinyl looked at the pistol in her hand. She had two clips in her pocket and no armor. She did have the element of surprise, though.

Octavia came to a halt next to Vinyl. "Why did you stop?" she whispered.

"There's a guy over there."

Octavia bit her lip. Vinyl was about to take her first shot when Octavia said, "I have an idea."

"You do?"

Instead of answering, Octavia let out a blood-curdling scream and ran across the hospital's lobby, well in view of the man by the door. Vinyl could hear his footsteps getting closer. Her heart was still pounding from the fright Octavia just gave her.

Octavia was standing on the other side of the lobby, chest heaving and eyes full of expectations. Vinyl frowned. Octavia was supposed to be the rational one. What did it say about their situation if running in front of armed men was the smartest thing to do?

The man stepped into Vinyl's sight. He was taking his time, his rifle still pointed to the ground. When he saw Octavia standing at the corner, he turned around just when Vinyl pulled the trigger. Two bullets slammed into his head. He fell with a loud _thump_.

Vinyl expected Octavia to scream or pass out. Instead, the cellist calmly walked over to the corpse and picked up the discarded rifle. She opened the man's vest and pilfered his spare magazines. Vinyl couldn't stop staring if she wanted to. Seeing Octavia pick the weapon and ammo from a dead man without batting an eye made Vinyl's head spin. This was the same woman who panicked at the mere sight of the Solar Empire's military, right?

Octavia finished her task and stood up. She gave Vinyl a small smile and handed her the rifle. "I think you're a better shot than I am."

"You're, uh, taking this very well," Vinyl said.

Octavia chuckled. "Yes, well, I can't always play the damsel. I'll have a mental breakdown later."

Vinyl forced a smile, which Octavia returned. Despite the grisly scene, Vinyl felt her heart skip a beat. She shook her head; sexy thoughts could wait for later. She motioned to the front doors. "C'mon, there is no way that guy was alone."

The two ran through the hospital doors and into a firing squad. Twenty men and women, all dressed in the same black attire as the man before, stood across the road. A pair of Bruisers rose in the back, the sun shining on their armor plating. Vinyl's mind stopped, trying to comprehend the amount of firepower pointed at them, and found that she could not. Just how many resources did Bass Leader have?

The man himself emerged from the back of a black van. He ran a hand over his expensive suit and surveyed the scene before him. Vinyl felt her blood chill at the sight of Bass Leader, thoughts of his hospitality still fresh in her thoughts. When Bass Leader's eyes rested on the pair, he smiled. "I see you got my message," he said, jumping down to the pavement.

Vinyl wanted to say something, if only to try and get under Bass Leader's skin one last time, but her throat refused to cooperate. If Bass Leader noticed Vinyl's struggle, he did not show it.

"I will applaud your ambition, Ms. Scratch. Not many people would have done what you have, especially after what I did to you." His deep voice carried across the street, deserted of everyone but them. The sirens played on, oblivious. "This either means that you are very stupid or you intended to blackmail me. The difference is slight, but I am curious, and I would like to know before you die." Bass Leader paused before them and spread his arms. "So, which is it?"

Vinyl opened her mouth again, but Octavia said, "She did it for me."

Bass Leader's eyes were hidden behind the lenses that had been grafted over them, but Vinyl thought that he blinked in surprise. "Is that so, Octavia?" he asked.

Octavia shuddered at Vinyl's side and moved closer to the DJ. Vinyl offered her hand and felt her heart flutter when Octavia grasped it. "Yes, it is," the cellist said to her father.

"What, exactly, is your relationship with my daughter, Ms. Scratch?" Bass Leader asked. His tone was too civil for a man who intended to kill Vinyl in a few moments.

Vinyl felt a cold sweat forming. What _was _their relationship, anyway? They had had sex that neither of them regretted, sure, but that didn't mean they were in love. Vinyl could feel Octavia's eyes on her as well and felt pressured to say something. Where elegance failed, Vinyl's wit was there to save the day. She held up her hand, which was still holding on to Octavia's, and said, "Are you blind? What do you think this means?"

Of course, Vinyl hadn't answered anything, but the look on Bass Leader's face told her that he had already connected the dots. He pulled out a revolver before Vinyl could react and fired. The bullet flew between Vinyl's legs and struck the hospital door behind them. "Octavia, get over here," Bass Leader demanded. "You and I are going to have a talk."

Octavia tensed and squeezed Vinyl's hand. Then, to the DJ's surprise, Octavia let go and took a step forward. Bass Leader smirked, undoubtedly at Vinyl's shocked reaction. The smirk faded when Octavia stopped directly in front of Vinyl and spread her arms out. "I'm not going to let you hurt her!" she yelled. The cellist lowered her voice and asked, "How are we getting out of here?"

Vinyl checked the rifle in her hands and looked around. The street was full of cars that had been abandoned for some reason. Part of her wondered what could have caused people to leave in such hurry, but the cars would act as ideal cover when the shooting started. Many doors were left open, which provided plenty of possibilities for escape, if they could get to them. The Bruisers could easily be shut down, and the majority of Bass Leader's troops were young, so maybe they wouldn't be able to react quickly if their augments temporarily crashed. Vinyl swallowed and whispered, "On the count of five, we break right for the bar five doors down."

"Alright."

"You ready?"

Octavia's reply was cut off by a shot from Bass Leader's line. The shot went high, but Vinyl yelled at Octavia to run. Vinyl activated her augments, which had been forced upon her by Bass Leader, and pointed a hand at the Bruisers. Vinyl never understood the way in which her augments could shut down others', but watching the two Bruisers fall unceremoniously to the pavement was enough for her.

Bass Leader was yelling at his troops to fire and Vinyl ran, hot on Octavia's heels. The pair ducked behind the first car they could and Vinyl shoved her pistol into Octavia's hands. The DJ waited for the firing to stop before standing up and taking a few shots. Someone fell down, yelling about his knee. "Vinyl, we have to go!" Octavia yelled,

"You don't have to tell me! Move it!" Vinyl leapt to her feet and took a few more shots while walking backwards. She saw Bass Leader glaring at her but making no attempt to stop her. That was fine; the swarm of goons was enough. Bullets hit the car next to her and shattered the windshield. Were all of Bass Leader's men unable to shoot? Vinyl fired again and watched a woman fall, clawing at the new hole in her throat.

"Vinyl, hurry up!" Octavia yelled. The pistol barked from behind and Vinyl assumed that Octavia had made it to the bar. She turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could. The cellist had dropped to one knee and was taking slow, measured shots. Octavia fired again and Vinyl heard a scream.

Vinyl pushed into the deserted bar. Octavia fired two more shots before joining Vinyl inside. The DJ quickly scanned the building. They couldn't stay there for too long. Bass Leader had more guns, more troops, more everything. He could afford a few losses. Vinyl grabbed a table and moved it against the door. Hopefully it would slow them down. "We gotta go," she said. Octavia nodded and followed, making sure to keep an eye on the door.

"I'm guessing there isn't a plan now." Octavia said.

"I'm still surprised that we're alive."

"Have a little more faith, dear."

Vinyl tried to grin, but thoughts of Octavia rummaging through a dead man's possessions came to mind. Where had that come from? She sighed. Would it be a bad idea to ask Octavia about her behavior? Would she want to get into an argument when they should be focusing on staying alive? Vinyl frowned. She would ask about it later.

Shining Armor was facing the window of his office, staring at the Earth. An empty bottle of whisky lay on his desk. It had been half-full the day before. That was before Camelot station had blown up and the channels were clogged with reports of insurrection and mass evacuations. That was before his sister had vanished.

He closed his eyes and fell onto his seat. He activated his augments once again, muscle memory allowing him to find his messages without a thought. There was nothing from Twilight. Again. He felt himself choke and tried to pour another drink. When Shining remembered that the bottle was empty, it took all of his willpower to not throw the bottle against the wall. He ran his fingers through his hair, harshly massaging his scalp.

"Where are you, Twily?" he whispered. Tears trickled down his face and he made no effort to brush them away. Messages continued to stream past him. He tried to pay attention, tried to feel something for the people that were dying. He reminded himself that he needed to take control. Twilight would be furious if she knew that he was shirking his duties.

None of that helped.

Shining sniffled once, loudly, and put his head down. The desk felt comfortable and stopped his head from spinning. The messages kept coming and going in a blue, digital stream.

"Twily," he mumbled. He resisted the urge to call up a picture of his sister.

A knock on the door stopped him. Shining reluctantly sat up and said, "Who is it?"

"Sir, there's a situation developing in the mess hall."

The voice sounded familiar. Shining shook his head. "What is it?"

"A fight, sir."

Shining let out a loud sigh. He wished the problems had stayed digital. Now he had to move. "Alright, I'll be right there," he said. Shining forced himself to stand and ran a hand over his uniform.

Maybe this was going to be a wake-up call. He had spent too much time away from his troops, anyway. If current events had left him a wreck, how would the others have reacted? Shining took a deep breath. He guessed that he was about to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

Vinyl had no idea why she jumped when the Bruiser smashed through the pathetic barricade. She also had no idea why she thought a wooden table would be enough to stop Bass Leader's troops. Maybe she thought the troops would get lazy and find another way in to the bar? The DJ's thought process was a mystery, even to herself, but one thought currently occupied every inch of her mind: There is a giant metal man behind us, we are fucked.

Despite the DJ's pessimism, the Bruiser stood in the demolished doorway. The driver's features were hidden behind the thick metal that the suit was made of, but Vinyl imagined that they were grinning.

"I found them!" the driver yelled, voice distorted by the suit's speakers. The gesture was unnecessary, Vinyl knew that the suit could have sent the driver's message without her ever hearing it. The driver was going for some sort of scare tactic. What could be scarier than knowing that a walking tank had their sights set on you? It might have worked if the DJ wasn't already at her limits.

"Vinyl, move!" Octavia yelled. The Bruiser started their loud, and surprisingly fast, walk towards them.

Vinyl shook her head and ran. They got to the back door, which Vinyl smashed into with her shoulder, and they found themselves in an alley. Octavia slammed the door behind them, though they both knew it was pointless. If a solid table couldn't stop the Bruiser, a thin door stood no chance. But the act carried a sort of reassurance. The Bruiser was in there and they were out there, away from the Bruiser.

The two women ran down the alley. Octavia managed to pull ahead, her breathing loud and ragged. Vinyl felt fine, surprisingly. Maybe Bass Leader had given her a set of iron lungs while he had her cut open on the operating table.

Octavia reached the end of the alley and stopped. She poked her head around the corner and turned to Vinyl. "I think I have a plan," she said between large gulps of breath.

"Goody. All this thinking is making my brain hurt," Vinyl said, unable to stop herself from making a bad joke.

Octavia glared and said, "There's a Solar Empire convoy going down the road. If we go to them, maybe we can get away from my father."

"He seemed pretty hell-bent on getting you back, Tav. I don't think a couple of soldiers are going to stop him."

"No, probably not. But they have tanks." Octavia wiped sweat from her brow. "I wish I did more cardio."

A dirty remark about Octavia's exercising, and the tight clothing that went with it, died on Vinyl's tongue. "Did you say tanks?"

"Yes. Look for yourself if you don't believe me." As Vinyl leaned around the corner and let out a low whistle at the sight of the armor, Octavia continued speaking. "If we go up to them, say we are being chased by some rebels or something, maybe they'll take us somewhere."

"Rebels? Who is going to believe that?"

"What, you haven't been paying attention to the news?" Octavia asked, confused.

"No, Tav, I've been a little busy getting shot at."

"Oh. I didn't know you could turn off the newsfeed to your display," Octavia said, blushing. "These augments will take some getting used to."

In another time, Vinyl would have laughed at the thought of Octavia watching the news through an impromptu warzone. Now, she just wanted to take a nap. "I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me," Vinyl said.

"We're going to have to get rid of the guns."

Vinyl looked at the rifle in her hands. Despite what others might think, the DJ was not unreasonable. The sight of two armed women would probably give the Solar Empire the wrong idea about them. It would be safer if they were unarmed. That didn't mean Vinyl liked the idea.

She threw the rifle into a dumpster before she changed her mind. A loud crash told her that the Bruiser was finally making his appearance.

"He's slow," Octavia said.

"He's toying with us," Vinyl said.

The Bruiser spotted them. He stepped into the middle of the alley and said, "I see you," in a sing-song voice. Octavia was already running again, but Vinyl stopped to flip off the Bruiser. "Baby," the driver said, "the things I'm going to make you do to yourself with that finger."

Vinyl opened her mouth to reply but decided to let the driver have his strange taunt. She stepped out of the alley and ran after Octavia, who was already yelling to the soldiers. It felt strange running towards the soldiers without a weapon. No less than 24 hours ago, the same soldiers might have been trying to shoot her.

Octavia's screaming had gotten their attention. The whole convoy was looking at them, each soldier's face hidden behind their orange visors. One person walked towards them, their tight suit denoting them as one of the Hunters, the same branch of the military that had played a pivotal role in the Reclamation. If it wasn't for the Hunters, many of the people that didn't have augments would have been able to slip through the net. Vinyl felt her gut tighten as she ran towards the convoy, thoughts of a Hunter letting a man fall to his death still fresh in her head.

"What are you still doing here? All of the civilians were supposed to be evacuated," the Hunter said.

"We're being chased! Bruiser, just down the alley, tried to kill us!" Octavia said, stopping in front of the Hunter to catch her breath.

"I can't believe this," the Hunter mumbled. She turned and pointed to one of the soldiers. "You. Take these two to the evac site." The soldier nodded and motioned for Octavia and Vinyl to follow him.

"Little girls, where are you?" the Bruiser said, walking out into the street. When he turned and saw the convoy, he said, "Aw, fuck."

Vinyl watched him raise his arms, preparing to fire. Before he could get a single shot off, the lead tank roared, scoring a direct hit and almost causing the DJ to go deaf. The remains of the Bruiser forward with a dull _thud_. Vinyl shivered and looked at Octavia instead.

The sight instantly calmed her, allowing her to think. Sure, they were getting out of the city, and away from Bass Leader, but they had just allowed a tank to fire in a city. Why did anyone need a tank in the city? Why was the city being evacuated? How had the world gone to hell overnight?

Vinyl was taken out of her self-questionnaire by the feeling of Octavia's hand gripping hers. The DJ blinked and looked up, into Octavia's lavender eyes. The shell that the cellist had constructed was starting to shatter. Vinyl could see all of the fear and confusion that swam just beneath Octavia's surface, and the DJ wondered how the other woman kept herself together. Vinyl didn't want to seem egotistic, but the warm hand in hers, which she clung to, might have provided a clue.


End file.
